Reading Research Quarterly Vol. 40, No. 4 October/November/December 2005 2005 International Reading Association (pp. 406408) doi:10.1598/RRQ.40.4.

IRA OUTSTANDING DISSERTATION AWARD FOR 2005

THE INTERNATIONAL READING ASSOCIATIONS OUTSTANDING DISSERTATION AWARD, which has been given yearly since 1964, recognizes exceptional contributions made by doctoral students in reading or related fields. Candidates may be self-nominated or nominated by their dissertation advisors. Each submits a monograph based on the dissertation, which must have been completed during the previous academic year. These monographs undergo rigorous review by the Associations Subcommittee on the Outstanding Dissertation Award. The winner and other finalists are recognized at IRAs Annual Convention in April or May. The award also carries with it a monetary prize made possible by a donation from Scott Foresman, a U.S. educational publishing house. The following summary of the 2005 award-winning dissertation has been provided for RRQ by its author.

ESL preschoolers English vocabulary acquisition from storybook reading

MOLLY FULLER COLLINS
Boston University, Massachusetts, USA

nterest in the relationship between early language development and childrens later reading skill has prompted researchers to look back further and further into childrens language experiences and competence prior to formal schooling. It is now commonly recognized that a number of specific skills and understandings are required as a foundation for learning to read and for continuing to advance in reading skill beyond the beginning reading phase (Storch & Whitehurst, 2002). Vocabulary is one of several important components of oral language skill (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Early Child Care Research Network, 2005). Prior vocabulary research demonstrates correlations with later school success (Dickinson & Tabors, 2001; Snow, Tabors, Nicholson, & Kurland, 1994), shows causal relationships with reading comprehension (Dickinson, McCabe, Anastasopoulos, Peisner-Feinberg, & Poe, 2003; Storch & Whitehurst, 2002), and points out the difficulty of changing the trajectory of vocabulary acqui406

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sition once it is established very early in childhood (Hart & Risley, 1995). Influences on early vocabulary development include a range of experiences, such as story reading, involvement in conversations, and exposure to novel words. Research on the effects of storybook reading to monolingual English-speaking children reveals several benefits to vocabulary acquisition. Monolinguals acquire new vocabulary from storybook reading not only through the use of explanation but also through incidental exposures to new words (Elley, 1989; Robbins & Ehri, 1994; Snchal, 1997; Snchal, Thomas, & Monker, 1995). Children with high initial vocabulary levels experience larger gains in new vocabulary than children with low initial vocabulary levels (Reese & Cox, 1999; Robbins & Ehri, 1994). Despite the corpus of knowledge about the benefits of storybook reading to monolingual children, a dearth of research exists on the benefits of storybook reading to secondlanguage learners of English. The present study focused on some of the gaps in current knowledge about vocabulary acquisition from storybook reading. First, the study examined the effects of storybook reading on the vocabulary acquisition of 4- and 5-year-olds. Second, the study not only employed repeated readings of stories but also employed the use of rich explanations of target words during the reading. Third, the study contributes to knowledge of vocabulary acquisition of second-language learners because it examines ESL preschoolers English vocabulary acquisition. Next, the present study examined not only the role of initial L2 vocabulary knowledge to vocabulary acquisition but also the role of initial L1 knowledge to second-language vocabulary acquisition. The study utilized many storybooks to assess childrens vocabulary acquisition and examined storybook reading in a time frame which reflects the typical or natural experience of repeated readings. Finally, the study examined a number of variables for their contribution to vocabulary acquisition from storybook reading, including initial vocabulary knowledge in both languages, home reading practices, age, gender, and treatment. The present study asks the following research questions: (1) Are rich explanations helpful to ESL preschoolers acquisition of sophisticated vocabulary from storybooks? (2) Does initial L2 vocabulary level contribute to childrens target vocabulary acquisition? (3) Does initial L1 vocabulary level contribute to childrens target vocabulary acquisition? (4) Which of the following variables account for the variance in ESL childrens English vocabulary acqui-

sition from storybook reading: treatment, initial L2 level, initial L1 level, home reading practices, age, and gender? Participants in the study were 70 preschoolage, typically developing native speakers of Portuguese who are second-language learners of English. All subjects were pretested in L1 (Portuguese) receptive vocabulary and in L2 (English) receptive and expressive vocabulary to determine a baseline of vocabulary knowledge in each language. After being matched according to age, gender, and L2 receptive score, subjects were assigned to experimental or control groups. Materials included eight commercially available picture books paired on the basis of similarity in length, illustration style, and plot structure. Between five and nine rare (sophisticated) vocabulary words were inserted into the text of each book based upon applicability to the story, depiction in illustration, and ability to occur in the text twice. Parents completed a questionnaire about storybook reading practices in the home. Subjects in the experimental group heard one pair of stories read three times per three-week period with rich explanations of target vocabulary words. Rich explanations consisted of the researcher (1) pointing to illustrations, (2) providing a brief definition, (3) using a synonym (when applicable), (4) using a gesture (when applicable), and (5) using the word in a sentence that is different from that of the book. Subjects in the control group heard one pair of stories read three times per three-week period without explanation of target words. Target vocabulary posttests, based on the model of the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-III (1997), were administered to children individually after the third reading of each book. Results show that the treatment (i.e., explanation of new vocabulary) effected significant gains in ESL preschoolers new vocabulary acquisition from storybook reading. Rich explanation, initial English receptive level, initial English expressive level, and the frequency of reading at home made significant, independent contributions to target vocabulary acquisition. L1 receptive level (i.e., Portuguese) did not influence significantly the acquisition of target vocabulary. Children who had higher initial L2 receptive scores learned more words than children with lower initial L2 receptive scores. Notwithstanding differential gains, however, explanation of new words is helpful, regardless of how little L2 is known. Finally, explanation, initial L2 receptive knowledge, story comprehension, and the frequency of parental

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reading to children at home accounted for 69% of the variance in target vocabulary scores. Results have important implications for classroom practice. First, teachers should provide rich explanation of new vocabulary in all books. In addition, teachers are not limited to teaching simple words or words that are only important to the plot. Thoughtful explanation provides a way to teach vocabulary that falls outside the range of everyday words or a typical working repertoire. Moreover, teachers do not need to wait for ESL children to have a minimum level of L2 knowledge before explaining words. Explanations are helpful regardless of how little L2 is known. Storybook reading is a valuable but underexplored medium for secondlanguage learning and merits substantial future research.
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vocabulary phonological sensitivity, and print knowledge in pre-K children. Journal of Educational Psychology, 95(3), 4769. DICKINSON, D.K., & TABORS, P.O. (Eds.). (2001). Building literacy with language: Young children learning at home and school. Baltimore: Brookes. ELLEY, W. (1989). Vocabulary acquisition from listening to stories. Reading Research Quarterly, 24, 174187. HART, B., & RISLEY, T.R. (1995). Meaningful differences in the everyday experiences of young American children. Baltimore: Brookes. NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF CHILD HEALTH AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT EARLY CHILD CARE RESEARCH NETWORK. (2005). Pathways to reading: The role of oral language in the transition to reading. Developmental Psychology, 41, 428442. REESE, E., & COX, A. (1999). Quality of adult book reading affects childrens emergent literacy. Development Psychology, 35(1), 2028. ROBBINS, C., & EHRI, L.C. (1994). Reading storybooks to kindergartners helps them learn new vocabulary words. Journal of Educational Psychology, 86(1), 5464. SNCHAL, M. (1997). The differential effect of storybook reading on preschoolers acquisition of expressive and receptive vocabulary. Journal of Child Language, 24, 123138. SNCHAL, M., THOMAS, E., & MONKER, J. (1995). Individual differences in 4-year-old childrens acquisition of vocabulary during storybook reading. Journal of Educational Psychology, 87, 218229. SNOW, C.E., TABORS, P.O., NICHOLSON, P.A., & KURLAND, B.F. (1994). SHELL: Oral language and early literacy skills in kindergarten and first-grade children. Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 10(1), 3748. STORCH, S.A., & WHITEHURST, G.J. (2002). Oral language and code-related precursors to reading: Evidence from a longitudinal structural model. Developmental Psychology, 38, 934947.